Inner Peace
by Team Rocket Rose
Summary: When Professor Ivy concocts a nefarious scheme for world domination, only three dare to stop her... Team Rocket's Jessie, James, and Meowth? A WYDS of the Orange Islands... what's inside that GS ball? And WHAT happened to Brock? FINISHED, please R&R!!!
1. Prologue

Prologue  
  
Professor Ivy sat at her lab table, staring at the computer monitor as her three young assistants, Millie, Tillie, and Lillie entered her research area, expectant looks on their bespectacled faces.   
  
"Professor Ivy!" squealed Millie.  
  
"Some kids are on their way to the island," added Tillie.  
  
"They're the ones Professor Oak sent," chimed in Lillie.  
  
A slow smile spread across Ivy's face. "Ah, the children are coming, and so quickly too," she mused, picking up the gold and silver Poke Ball she had commissioned from Kurt, the world-famous Poke Ball architect. It hadn't been cheap, but she knew it would serve its purpose well.  
  
Ivy looked back to her screens of information, rechecking the files carefully collected several months ago from the confidential records of the Team Rocket database. Although Ivy's trio of assistants often appeared geeky and awkward, all three were experienced computer hackers. Between the three of them, the girls had managed to crack the passwords guarding Giovanni's personal Team Rocket records, and all the files were at Ivy's fingertips.   
  
After scanning lists of unimportant information, filled with countless trivial details regarding the various Rocket members, Ivy had finally discovered the file she was searching for: failed TR schemes.   
  
About a week ago, Ivy had realized that she had to secure the effectiveness of her own plans at any cost. The thought struck her that Team Rocket, headed by her old friend Giovanni, had been experiencing a severe downward turn in the last several years. She absently wondered if the cause of TR's problems might somehow have an impact on her own schemes, so she spent many hours searching for the main antagonists of Team Rocket.  
  
The results came as a total shock to Ivy, who was expecting to hear that the Rockets were losing to Officer Jennies, various Police forces, or other local authorities. When she discovered that three young trainers and a Pikachu were causing major problems for two different Rocket teams, she was flabbergasted. It appeared that dumb luck followed these three children like a shadow, helping them to conquer even the most ingenious of schemes.  
  
Ivy quickly did a search on the three trainers. It seemed that the girl was one of the four Sensational Sisters of Cerulean City, and the older boy used to run the Pewter City Gym. Nothing too spectacular.   
  
But the youngest boy was someone she could work with. Not only was he from Pallet Town, home of her supposed "friend" Professor Oak, but he was also training to be a Pokemon Master. Here was someone she could distract, possibly for a very long time. According to her records, he had just finished competing in the Pokemon League, and should be returning home to Pallet very soon. Ivy smiled. Things were playing right into her hands. Obviously the boy would be anxious to be traveling once again, trying to capture new Pokemon and win more badges. While he was traipsing around the Orange Archipelago, she should have sufficient time to initiate her plan without these meddling kids to get in her way.  
  
She had quickly contacted Professor Oak with a tantalizing bit of news: there was a new Poke Ball discovered on her home island of Valencia. She couldn't unravel its mysteries, but perhaps he might be able to discover what lurked within its gold and silver depths. Was there a young, trustworthy trainer who could be trusted to hand-deliver this Poke Ball, since no transporter would take it?  
  
Ivy knew there was nothing inside, of course, but the possibility that the ball might contain a new species of Pokemon was more than intriguing enough to attract Professor Oak's attention. Oak was only too happy to suggest his young pupil Ash Ketchum, who was already becoming restless to begin another Pokemon journey, and soon Ash and his friends were on their way to Valencia Island.  
  
Professor Ivy quickly began tidying up her desk, shoving papers into the huge bookshelf that took up an entire wall of her laboratory. Countless articles and treatises on Pokemon behavior and species variations littered the desk surface, and her own research journals were shoved in between issues of Pokemon Friend and Pokemon Watcher's Monthly magazines. She moved a stained coffee mug from the top of a stack of Pokemon Times issues and pulled out the notebook recording her latest study: the effects of Vileplume pollen on living creatures.   
  
She gazed at her notes fondly. This was the most unorthodox study she'd ever performed, but also the most lucrative. It began entirely by accident, when one of her assisting researchers, a visiting scientist, had mistakenly breathed in a small amount of Vileplume pollen during an experiment. Nurse Joy hadn't been around that day, so Ivy had to care for the affected scientist herself, and was amazed by his response to the pollen. His senses became dulled, and he could no longer remember who he was, or what he was doing. When Ivy tried to calm him by repeating what she thought were relaxing phrases ("Please remain calm, everything is under control"), the drugged scientist began repeating everything she said, remaining in a deep trance. Kept away from the Vileplume pollen, the scientist began to gradually recover, and in a few days, was completely back to his old self, with no recollection of his time under the pollen's power.  
  
Before this occurrence, Ivy had never considered world domination, but now the amazing prospect had taken root in her mind.   
  
It was a simple concept, really.  
  
To fill the world with a sense of peace and harmony… all Pokemon and humans sharing the world together… under Professor Ivy's ruling thumb. And all it would take were Vileplume flowers… garlands of peace. Yes, that sounded nice. The entire world would be at peace eventually… nobody would argue or disagree, or disrespect the environment, or cause any trouble at all if everyone was spaced-out on Vileplume pollen. Professor Ivy would make the world a better place… HER better place.  



	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1  
  
Jessie and James were sprawled out on the bench outside the gas station, half-asleep. Meowth was busily checking the road map he had "borrowed" from the convenience store while the cashier was checking out another customer. The small cat scratched his head as he planned out Team Rocket's next movement.  
  
"Why'd those twerps have to pick the long way to da next gym?" he wondered aloud. "Ok, youse guys, here's da plan…" Meowth stopped talking when he realized that his human companions weren't even listening to him. He angrily jumped onto the back of the bench and swatted their faces.  
  
"What is dis, nap time?" the cat demanded, Fury Swiping his friends. "We gotta get movin!"  
  
Jessie angrily awoke and began throttling Meowth. "How dare you!" she screamed, slamming Meowth into the ground. "Look what you've done to my perfect face!!!"  
  
James was also annoyed. "Who gave you the right to scratch us like that?" he yelled, kicking Meowth across the road.  
  
Meowth looked up, blearily. "Maybe I overdid it a little…" he groaned, half-apologetically, as he dragged himself back to his friends.  
  
James picked up the map that Meowth had dropped and started to study it as Jessie opened up her compact mirror and worriedly began checking her reflection. Meowth jumped up onto James's head and began pointing at places on the map.  
  
"See, here's what I think," began the cat Pokemon. "The twerps just passed by here," he said, pointing to one spot, "and they're goin here. If we go dis way, we can cut 'em off at the pass and grab ourselves a Pikachu."  
  
"All right with me," replied James. "What do you think, Jess?"  
  
There was no answer.  
  
"Jess? Jessie!" he called, frantically looking around for his friend. She seemed to have vanished without a trace.  
  
James began pacing the area, looking for the female Rocket, but suddenly stopped when something crunched under his boot. Looking down, he picked up the remains of Jessie's compact. His eyes grew wide and he began yelling, "Jessie! Jessie, can you hear me? Where are you???"  
  
Meowth motioned for him to stop yelling, and the faint sound of a starting engine was heard. "That way," Meowth said, pointing to a group of trees behind the convenience store.  
  
James and Meowth took off running through the forest. James noticed a number of broken branches and trampled undergrowth that clearly marked a hastily-made path through the woods. Clearly, someone had just passed through here in a hurry.  
  
The engine noises were getting louder, and finally James and Meowth came to a clearing in the woods just in time to see a plain white van pull out onto a small dirt trail, leaving swirling clouds of dust in its wake.  
  
"JESSIE!" screamed James, running madly after the disappearing van. Meowth suddenly sprang forward and knocked James to the ground.  
  
"Jimmy, whaddya think you're doin?" asked the cat, sitting on his friend's head.  
  
"She - she - she's gone…" James said in a panicky voice. "And I've got to save her! What are you wasting my time here for?"  
  
"Get real!" replied Meowth. "There's no way we can catch up with a speedin' van! It's not like we're da twerps or anything, and can outrun movin' vehicles." Meowth scratched his head contemplatively. "How DO they do dat, anyway?"  
  
"We've got to find Jessie!" yelled James in frustration. "Talking about the twerps isn't going to accomplish anything!"  
  
"It ain't like the van disappeared without a trace," said Meowth, pointing out the clear trail of dust that marked the van's path. "Why don't we just follow it at a distance, then make a sneak attack when we catch up to it?"  
  
"That's not a bad idea," said James thoughtfully. Then he jumped to his feet. "But why are we just standing around talking about it? Let's go!"   
  
It was late afternoon before James and Meowth came to a fork in the dirt trail. The van was nowhere in sight, and three different paths stretched before them, each winding off in a different direction. James idly kicked at a rock as he looked down each path, wondering where to go next. Suddenly a small, bright red object on the left-hand path caught his attention. Running over, he picked up the delicate rose petal and rubbed it lightly between his fingers. Doing a classic Rocket pose, James pointed down the left-hand pathway.  
  
"They must have gone that way. Let's go!" he shouted to Meowth.   
  
The cat Pokemon just shook his head and followed. 'Humans,' he thought. 'They just keep gettin' weirder…'  
  
Following the trail of sporadically dropped rose petals, James and Meowth finally came to the edge of a rocky outcropping. Standing at the edge, they looked down into the valley below, bathed in the fading light of sunset. In the orange glow, the pair could make out rows and rows of white vans, identical to the one they had been following. A large group of people in identical blue uniforms, presumably the vans' drivers, stood away from the rows of vans, talking and laughing loudly. A few drivers slowly patrolled the area with glaring flashlights.   
As silently as possible, James and Meowth descended the cliff and slunk into the valley, hiding in the long shadows cast by the dying light. James crawled on his hands and knees, hoping desperately that the bored-looking guards wouldn't notice him.  
  
He crawled to a row of vans temporarily devoid of guards, and began calling out, "Jessie? Are you here, Jess?"   
  
Meowth quickly shoved a paw over his mouth. "You got a death wish?" the cat hissed. "Keep it down before those guards hear ya!"  
  
"Jessie!" James called in a loud stage whisper, looking from left to right at the small window of each van, hoping for some kind of signal that he had found his friend. As he rounded the end of his row, James noticed a tiny rose petal at the edge of the next row. "Jessie?" he whispered loudly, looking up at the tiny window of the van closest to the end.  
  
In response, a curl of red hair dangled out of the window. Jumping to his feet, James peered inside, not caring whether any guards spotted him or not. He sighed with relief when he saw Jessie looking out at him, a hopeful smile on her face.  
  
"James!" she cried excitedly. "I hoped you'd be able to find me."  
  
James returned her smile, blinking back tears of joy at finding Jessie at last. He then turned his attention to the lock on the van's back door, examining it closely for a few seconds. James then pulled his lock pick from his pocket and forced it into the keyhole. After a few sharp turns, there was a soft click and the door popped open.  
  
Jessie rushed out of the van and gave James a huge hug.  
  
"Heh!" laughed Meowth. "Leave it ta James to jimmy a door open!" Suddenly, Meowth's ears perked up and he jumped onto the roof of the van. "Hey, youse two, there's somebody comin!"  
  
Still in each other's arms, Jessie and James spun around and gasped as a flashlight shone in their faces. One of the guards had rushed over as soon as he heard the door open. Several of his buddies had followed, and were now surrounding the two Rockets.  
  
"Get inside," grunted the guard with the flashlight.  
  
James giggled nervously. "Oh, I'm not supposed to be here… I'll just be leaving now." He timidly took a step away from the van.  
  
One of the other guards leveled a gun at James's head. "Inside," he growled. "Both of youse." He cocked the trigger.  
  
"Ok, ok… no need to get pushy," James said shakily as he and Jessie were shoved inside the van by the other guards. They were left in near-darkness as the van door was slammed shut and locked behind them.   
  
Rushing to the small window, Jessie and James looked out at the guards who had caught them. One pulled out a small walkie-talkie and pushed a few buttons on the device.  
  
"Yeah, we got 'em," they heard his gravelly voice tell whoever was on the other line. "Some guy tryin' to break the Rocket gal out… yeah, five-sixty-two… nah, no one else… huh? What's Ivy got ta be mad about? We just got anudder… she should be… yeah whatever… yeah, she's da boss… okay." He switched off the communicator and walked away.  
  
A moment later the van's engine roared to life, and Jessie and James were flung to the floor of the van as it raced away into the descending night.  
  
Meanwhile, Meowth clung onto the van's roof for dear life as it sped over bumps and potholes. 'This is just like da time I got ta Hollywood,' he thought, clinging to the roof with his claws. The van flew over a speed bump and Meowth almost lost his grip. 'Maybe a bit more dangerous…' He sighed. 'Da things I do for those humans of mine…'  



	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
  
The first pale light of dawn was tinting the distant horizon when the van jerked to a stop. Exhausted, Meowth finally relaxed his grip on the van roof. His tired muscles ached from the long trip. As the front door of the van slammed open, Meowth flattened himself against the roof, making himself as inconspicuous as possible. Heavy footsteps approached the back of the van. Meowth closed his eyes and tried to relax his tense body.  
  
The next thing Meowth knew, bright sunlight was beating down on his back. The small cat Pokemon yawned and stretched his paws forward. Blinking sleep from his eyes, Meowth realized with a start that the entire area was deserted. The cat poked his head over the edge of the van's roof and saw that the van doors were hanging open, and there was no sign of the driver or his two friends.  
  
Trying hard not to panic, Meowth carefully leapt from the roof and began to examine his surroundings. The vans that he and James had seen in the valley were here, parked in an enormous parking lot which was surrounded by several layers of barbed-wire fences. In the distance, Meowth could make out two imposing guard towers.  
  
The vans were parked in front of a huge white building, landscaped with green shrubs and brightly colored flowers. Near the main entrance stood a wooden sign, with the words "Welcome to the Society" painted in neat letters. The building certainly didn't look like it belonged with the prison-like fences and guard towers. Meowth wondered what was going on.  
  
The cat Pokemon walked around the perimeter of the building, stopping at the first window he came to. Stretching on the tips of his paws, he peered in. Inside, he saw a group of people sitting in a circle. They were all wearing light brown robes and had wreaths of flowers around their necks. Their eyes were closed, as if in meditation, and all were smiling peacefully.  
  
Meowth backed away from the window, a bit disquieted by what he had seen, and approached the next window. Inside the next five windows, he saw the exact same thing: circles of unmoving robe-clad people all in peaceful meditation. A strange floral smell was everywhere, and it was starting to give Meowth a headache.  
  
Rounding the corner of the building, Meowth came upon a much smaller window, propped open by two large books. Grabbing the windowsill, Meowth pulled himself inside, barely squeezing through the narrow aperture.   
  
After a few moments, Meowth's eyes adjusted from the bright sunlight outside to the dimness of the room. There was a small wooden table in the center of the room, covered with books and research journals. Barely giving them a glance, Meowth headed for the door on the opposite side of the small room. He had just opened the door when suddenly the sound of a bell was heard. Startled, the cat jumped behind the door. After a few seconds, however, his curiosity got the better of him and he peeked out the door.   
  
A group of the robed figures he had seen earlier were now moving down the hallway. They were all chanting in what sounded like another language. The sound was unnerving. After they had passed, a figure in a darker brown robe hurried down the hallway, running in the opposite direction.   
  
"Come!" Meowth heard his young male voice call out excitedly. "The Mother says the time has come for today's induction ceremony! Now the newest initiates are ready to become true members of our beloved Society!"  
  
At the sound of many more people processing down the hallway, chanting in that strange language, the cat finally lost his nerve and slammed the door shut. Pacing around the room nervously, Meowth noticed one of the books on the table was much more colorful than the others, covered with bright flower stickers. Curious, he picked it up and examined the cover. The words "Professor Ivy's Research Diary - Vileplume Study" were written in shiny gold letters.  
  
Meowth carefully opened the diary to the first page and began reading, having no idea what he might learn from the writing inside.  
  
  
February 3: Those three young trainers arrived on Valencia Island today, according to plan. The GS Ball has been delivered and the annoying children will soon be sent on their way, with one exception. It seems the oldest one wishes to remain here with me! I'm sure this will have benefits down the road, as he enjoys doing all the domestic work around the lab while I tend to more… serious matters.  
  
  
Meowth stopped, intrigued. "Annoying children"…was Professor Ivy talking about the twerps? It was true that Ash and company had gone to Valencia not too long ago, courtesy of a Team Rocket blimp. 'Wonder if Ivy's twerps are our twerps too?' Meowth wondered absently before reading on.  
  
  
February 4: A Raticate tried to interfere with the Vileplume study last night, and when I attempted to stop it, accidentally breathed in some Stun Spore myself. Luckily the experience helped me to develop an antidote, which will surely come in handy later on. Those annoying children left today, and as I predicted, the oldest one, Brock, stayed with me. Perhaps he will prove to be a worthy assistant to me… or at least a decent guinea pig in my experiment.  
  
  
Meowth frowned. Had he read that last line correctly? The Professor was going to use the squinty kid in some kind of experiment? The cat shrugged. He had always idly wondered what happened to the older kid. He hadn't been on the return trip of the blimp (which provided the opportunity for some great insults at the expense of the younger twerps), but the squinty kid did return, much later, with no explanation of what happened. Hmm.  
  
Meowth flipped ahead a few pages and began reading again.  
  
  
February 8: Busy day today. First of all, I deployed that simpleminded nephew of mine, the Sketchit kid, with orders to find those children and make certain they are detained for quite awhile in the Orange Archipelago. He has reported that the boy and girl were last seen leaving on a blimp, headed for Tangelo Island. He has been given strict orders (and a dash of Stun Spore) to make certain the boy enters the Orange League. I just hope the simpleton doesn't fail me.  
  
  
Meowth smiled at Ivy's last comment. He had always hated Tracey Sketchit, from the very first moment he met the Pokemon Watcher on Tangelo Island. Even in the limited time Meowth had to deal with the kid, Tracey had grated on his last nerve. It was nice to hear someone else express the same sentiments he felt toward the annoying artist. Meowth flipped through some diagrams and technical notes before he found the next non-scientific article.  
  
  
March 14: Wonderful news. I just heard from Oak that the young trainers won't be delivering the GS Ball to him for awhile yet, as they are now involved with the Orange League. At least that idiot Sketchit did something right for a change.  
  
  
Meowth giggled aloud. "Idiot" seemed like a pretty appropriate description. The cat flipped ahead in the journal, and stopped when something fascinating caught his eye. Stuck in between the pages of the diary was a photograph from the newspaper. The photo depicted Officer Jenny presenting Ashy-boy with a certificate; standing beside him were scrawny little Misty and moronic Tracey, both grinning like idiots. The photo's caption read: "Team Rocket Carted Off Again on Mandarin Island - Young Trainers Rewarded".   
  
Meowth remembered that whole thing only faintly. He remembered arriving on Mandarin Island with his friends, then the next thing he knew, he was in this big room with a whole bunch of other Pokemon. Jessie, James, and the twerps were there… and so were those two "other" Rockets, Butch and Cassidy. The cat wondered why Ivy would cut something like that out of the paper. Intrigued, he started to read the next entry.  
  
  
March 25: Well, it turns out that my suspicions were correct after all. I just saw, on the Orange Islands News Channel, that those two annoying children (still accompanied by Sketchit - at least that asinine artist is good for something) have just thwarted another Team Rocket scheme on Mandarin Island, this time disrupting the activities of a pair of Class A agents. I'm certainly glad I planned ahead and got rid of those two irritating children before they could cause me any problems. However, their older friend Brock has turned out to be an invaluable help around the lab… and also makes my research look as helpful to the world as I know it to be. If only that fool knew… what a great service he's doing mankind.  
  
  
'So dat's it,' thought Meowth. 'Ivy didn't want da twerps messin up her plans like they always mess up ours… but how'd she know about dat?' Thoroughly confused, Meowth jumped ahead a few months in the journal, growing bored with all this reading.  
  
  
June 4: I fear that my "trusted assistant" Brock is starting to cause trouble in the lab. He believes that, since he's been here for several months, he can now pursue his own experiments and activities. Ordinarily I wouldn't mind, but he seems to have taken a fancy to my Vileplume research… perhaps he should begin to take a more "active" role in the study…  
  
  
'"Active role in the study"… maybe dat's what Ivy meant about the squinty kid bein a guinea pig,' Meowth thought before flipping ahead again.  
  
  
July 2: Amazing developments in the Vileplume study today. For the first time, the subject was unbelievably receptive to all issued commands, even ones that went against his natural character; very loyal and responsive, especially to my orders. Definitely want to keep a closer eye on this one… not only is he very susceptible to the Stun Spore, but of course he's a skilled cook and housecleaner… it's always nice to have a mindless moron to attend to domestic duties.  
  
  
'Hmm… sounds like some kinda mind control,' thought Meowth. 'Can Stun Spore REALLY do dat much damage?' He skipped over a detailed description of Stun Spore's chemical formula and structure, locating the next interesting article.  
  
  
July 21: The subject continues to sink even further under the Vileplume's Stun Spore powers, just as expected. Often forgets his own identity and background in the Pewter City Gym. Perhaps it would be time to increase the potency of the Stun Spore, so as to expedite the process…   
  
  
'Blah, blah, blah...' thought Meowth as he skimmed the articles. Suddenly, the first words of an entry caught his attention and he began reading in detail.  
  
  
August 28: What a disaster. Due to a miscalculation in the Stun Spore concentration, my test subject inhaled too much of the powder and passed out. Of course, I called Nurse Joy immediately to get the boy some medical attention. I'm not heartless, after all. Besides, what good would it do me if he were to die? This entire stage of the experiment would be useless. When the boy awakened, I attempted to carry on where I had left off, by issuing him a simple order. All I asked him to do was destroy the main power source of the Pokemon Center to create a distraction, during which time we could escape. He stared at me blankly for a moment until that goody-goody nurse entered the room. Suddenly, his expression changed, and I thought he was back under my control, when that idiot suddenly began skipping around the room, chirping about how beautiful the nurse was. It was enough to make a sane person ill. As soon as Joy left the room, I calmly repeated the order and that ungrateful wretch backed away from me as if I had lost my mind. I asked him what was wrong, and if he remembered who I was. With a look of terror on his face, the moron ran out of the room, babbling incoherently. That was the last I ever saw of him.  
  
  
Meowth blinked in shock, rereading the entry for August 28th. It explained so much: the disappearance of the older twerp, the reason he left Ivy's lab, and why any mention of Professor Ivy made him flip out. 'No wonder,' Meowth thought as he turned to the next entry. 'If somebody did dat ta me, I'd have issues too…'  
  
Shuddering involuntarily, Meowth read on, half-afraid of what he'd learn next, but too fascinated to stop reading.  
  
  
August 30: After recovering from the shock at losing my original test subject, I am now convinced of one thing: the plan works. Not only does it work, but it is also very effective, provided I closely monitor the concentration of Stun Spore the subject receives. The wreaths of Vileplume petals appear to be most effective to provide maximum mind-controlling power. The triplets agree that I am now ready to begin "recruiting" members for my own world-domination Society, finding trainers whom no one will really miss for awhile, and subject them to my experimental methods. Once I build a strong support base, we can begin recruiting other, more complicated cases…  
  
  
Meowth was beginning to grow sleepy. After all, he had been awake the whole night before, and he was exhausted from hanging onto the speeding van. As his eyelids drooped, Meowth skimmed the next few entries, pausing only when something caught his attention.  
  
  
November 13: The base of my power has begun to increase exponentially… dozens of new recruits are brought in every day… van drivers are morons but at least they are reliable, and they have never asked too many questions…  
  
  
Meowth yawned and flipped through the next month of entries, stopping with a jolt when he saw the Boss's name in Ivy's diary. Intrigued, he read the entry.  
  
  
December 30: …not even Giovanni could pull off a scheme like this. He operates by instilling fear into his agents, but I provide my followers with an increasing sense of calm… my Society will make Team Rocket look like a mere speck of space dust floating aimlessly through the galaxy…  
  
  
Meowth fumed. Who did this nut job think she was, bad-mouthing Team Rocket like that? Space dust? REAL funny, there. 'Although she's right about da Boss,' he thought ruefully. He flipped through the diary until he found another mention of Team Rocket.  
  
  
February 15: …a brilliant idea, to further enhance my powers by taking members away from Giovanni's Team Rocket… already fully trained to follow orders, especially directed to world conquest… I'm certain that their kind of skills would surely help my Society more forward. My main objective is to locate a team of Team Rocket incompetents, agents that Giovanni would never miss should they mysteriously disappear. Preferably, I will locate a group that is on a perpetual failing streak, one that hardly dares to report to their revered Boss for fear of his wrath; a group so doomed to disaster that their presence in my Society could only improve them far beyond their current value…   
  
  
Meowth slammed the book shut, unable to read on. The cat felt half-sick, like someone had kicked him in the stomach with steel-toed boots. He still didn't fully know what Ivy was up to, but he had read enough to know that his two best friends - his two only friends - were in the middle of more trouble than anyone could have guessed.  
  
Eyes brimming with tears of indignation, Meowth raced out of the room and followed the sound of chanting voices that echoed through the corridors. All thoughts of sleep had vanished from his mind as the cat raced down the hallways of the Society Headquarters. His mind, usually awhirl with brilliant schemes and scams, couldn't even form the beginnings of a plan. All Meowth knew was that he had better act and act fast… or his two best friends were doomed.  



	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
  
Meowth followed the echoing voices through the winding halls of the Society building, finally stopping at a set of huge wooden double doors. The small cat placed his ear next to the right-hand door, listening to the sounds of chanting from within. From the volume of the chanting, Meowth guessed that there had to be at least several hundred people inside, and the heavy floral smell was almost overpowering. Opening the door a crack, Meowth peered inside. Pungent fumes rushed out of the room, sending the cat reeling backwards. Taking a deep breath of fresh air, Meowth stepped up to the door again, trying to get a closer look at the interior of the spacious room before him.  
  
The large amphitheatre was filled to capacity with robed figures, chanting in bizarre harmonies as their Vileplume wreaths released a steady stream of Stun Spore fumes. At the far end of the room there was a tall podium, completely covered with garlands of vivid tropical flowers. Two flaming torches burned on either side of the podium, producing thick clouds of gray smoke that added to the room's dream-like atmosphere.  
  
A faint bell rang once, and immediately the chanting stopped. The young man in the dark brown robe regally walked through the middle of the crowd and stood behind the podium. His mannerisms reminded Meowth of the Bounty Ceremony leader on the Island of the Great Meowth he had visited not long ago.  
  
"Welcome, Brothers and Sisters, to our Greeting Ceremony," he proclaimed, his strong voice echoing through the chamber. "Our revered Mother has deemed that two of our newest visitors are now ready to embrace inner peace by joining our sacred Society. I, Brother Darren, will begin the Ceremony by lighting this candle."   
  
Meowth watched as Darren produced a tall pink candle from his robes. The Ceremony leader held it aloft for a few moments before continuing. "This candle, as you know, represents the inner peace we must have within ourselves. The candle relies on nothing but the light of the Mother to burn its brightest." He carefully lit the candle from one of the burning torches and placed it into a holder on the podium.  
  
"And now," he said, looking back at the crowds, "here are our two newest initiates!" He gestured, and two figures in pale green robes stood up on the right side of the room and slowly walked to the podium. Meowth gasped as he got a closer look at the two initiates. Even at this distance, the cat instantly recognized Jessie and James, his only two friends in the world.  
  
Brother Darren continued, a broad smile on his face. "These two have come from a great distance to embrace the inner peace our Mother promises. As you can see, they have turned from the error of their ways and are now about to join our blessed Society!"  
  
At this, the assembled Society members resumed their chanting from before, slightly swaying from side to side, eyes half-closed and blissful smiles on their faces.  
  
Suddenly, one of the sisters screamed as a small yellowish cat flung itself through the massive crowd. Members scattered in panic as the cat lashed out with sharp claws at anyone who stood in his way. Utter chaos reigned in the once-peaceful amphitheatre as Society members blindly pushed to the sides of the room, desperately trying to escape the flailing claws.  
  
Brother Darren ran from the podium and stood directly in front of Meowth, holding out his hands to stop the cat's progress. "Desist and leave this place… or you'll regret it," the Ceremony leader ordered in a menacing voice.   
  
Meowth frowned. He didn't appreciate being threatened.  
  
Brother Darren shrieked like a girl as the full force of Meowth's Fury Swipes struck him across the face. The Ceremony leader fled to the back of the room, eager to escape the snarling, scratching whirl of angry fur.   
  
Biting and clawing, Meowth finally made his way to the front of the chamber where his two closest friends stood, ready to be initiated into the evil Society.  
  
Gasping for breath, Meowth leaped in front of Jessie and James, a triumphant smile on his feline face.  
  
"Jessie! James! I told you I'd save you!" he joyfully yelled. "Let's get outta here while they're still panicked!"   
  
But Jessie and James gave no sign that they recognized their friend. Instead they both stared vacantly into space, the Vileplume wreaths around their necks still emitting the soothing fragrance of Stun Spore. Frustrated, Meowth leaped onto James's shoulders, lightly smacking James's face with his paws.  
  
"Hey, Jimmy, snap out of it, will ya?"  
  
Getting no response, Meowth then scratched his face. James never even turned his head. Finally, Meowth climbed onto the podium, blew out the candle, and began urgently speaking to the former Rockets, trying to spark recognition of some memory from their past.  
  
"Jessie, doncha remember all those times we tried to capture that twerp's Pikachu?"  
  
Jessie retained her vacant look. "Pi… ka… chu?" she asked dreamily, as if hearing the word for the first time.  
  
Meowth didn't give up. "James, what about the time we was imitating the Black Arachnid, and you acted like your bottlecaps were my Pay Day attack?"  
  
James gave no sign of comprehension.  
  
Meowth was getting desperate. "What about that time I came back to save youse two from all them Beedrill in the forest, even though you traded me to dat Mondo kid? Or when you saved me from dat gang of street Meowths in Hollywood?"   
  
Jessie and James stared blankly off into space.   
  
"Ya don't even remember the time when youse two used up all your spare change to save me from dat bunch of Meowth-worshipping lunatics?"   
Neither of his friends responded at all.  
  
By this time, the panic in the hall was beginning to subside. One of the more daring brothers reached forward, grabbed Meowth by the scruff of the neck, and pulled the cat off the podium.  
  
"Please," said the brother in a dangerously calm voice, "desist at once."  
  
"We don't want any trouble around here," added one of the sisters in a psychotically peaceful voice.  
  
"No trouble at all," added another.  
  
Trouble… trouble… Something about that word was nagging at Jessie's dulled consciousness. Why did that word seem so familiar? She shook her head and concentrated, as if she was trying to remember a scene from a faded dream. There was something about "trouble". Have to be ready… have to… to…  
  
"Pre… prepare… prepare for… trouble?" she said dazedly, her mind slowly beginning to clear.  
  
Beside her, James also started to recall his memories from the past. He had totally forgotten about his life before the Society until the sister had said "trouble". Now, hearing Jessie begin to say the once-familiar lines, he too began to remember.  
  
"Make… and make…" he stammered, concentrating. "Make it… d-d-d…double…"  
  
Jessie smiled slowly as the cobwebs in her mind began to dissolve. Finally her life was coming back to her. "To protect… protect the world… from… from devastation…" she began haltingly.  
  
James looked around the room as the lines came back to him. How long had he been here? He felt like he was in a fog, still struggling to regain his full consciousness. "To… to unite… something." He paused. "To unite all… all peoples, all peoples within… our nation!"  
  
Reaching up to her neck, Jessie grabbed the intoxicating wreath. "To denounce… the evils of… of truth and love!" With one mighty rip, she tore the wreath and flung the poisonous flowers away from her. She deeply breathed in the fresh air as her head cleared.   
  
James grabbed his wreath as well. "To extend… our reach… to the stars above!" He flung the flowers into the crowd.  
  
"J-J-J-Jessie!" She paused. "I remember now! My name's Jessie!" she cried happily.  
  
"And I'm… I'm… I'm James!" her partner joyfully cried.  
  
Jessie hesitated for a moment, racking her brain to remember the final lines of her once-familiar motto. 'We used to belong to something,' she thought. 'Some kind of organization…the stars above… we were some kind of group… a team… yes!'  
  
She smiled triumphantly, thrusting her hand high into the air as she spoke. "Team Rocket, blast off at the… the speed of light!"  
  
James looked confused for a moment, as if still not certain of his lines, but then he also smiled and posed next to Jessie.  
  
"Surrender now, you weirdos," he said, staring at the brothers and sisters, "or… or prepare to fight!"  
  
Meowth struggled out of the brother's grasp. "Meowth! All right!"  
  
Jessie and James looked at each other for a moment before they fell into each other's arms, exhausted. The Society members gasped.   
  
"Inner peace does not require close interaction with others," proclaimed one of the brothers.  
  
"To truly serve the Mother, we must not concern ourselves with each other, but with her approval alone," added another member, advancing toward the podium.  
  
"Yes, only the Mother is important, and we shall do whatever she demands," continued another, moving forward.  
  
James produced a Poke ball from his robe and hurled it into the air. "Weezing, Smokescreen attack NOW!"  
  
"Weeeeez!" moaned the two-headed purple blob as it floated above the crowd, spewing out thick clouds of black smoke. As the smoke settled on the crowd, the poisonous gases reacted with the Stun Spore being emitted from the Society members' wreaths, producing a very powerful chemical. Society members choked as they breathed in the foul-smelling mixture. Taking full advantage of the chaos, Jessie, James, and Meowth threaded their way across the huge chamber, heading for the distant exit.  
  
"Call the… Mother," hacked Brother Darren, covering his mouth in a futile attempt to prevent inhaling the fumes. "Elders! Use… the ceremonial… handbells…"  
  
At his order, a group of gray-haired Society members reached into the folds of their robes and pulled out large, brass handbells, which they began clanging furiously. The cacophony was deafening. Jessie, James, and Meowth collapsed to the floor, jamming their hands over their ears and screaming in pain as the awful din pounded through their heads. Meanwhile, most of the other Society members had passed out from the strong fumes of Smokescreen and Stun Spore, and their inert forms covered the chamber floor.  
  
Suddenly Professor "Mother" Ivy rushed into the room, dressed in a flowing purple velvet robe elaborately embroidered with white doves and pink flowers. A huge wreath of pink blossoms crowned her head. She looked exceedingly annoyed by the noise.  
  
"What is all this commotion?" cried Ivy. At the sound of her voice, the Elders silenced their bells. Ivy paced the room, a look of barely-concealed anger clouding her face as she stared at the Society members collapsed on the floor. She spun around to stare at the Elders, who sheepishly avoided her gaze.  
  
"Handbells clanging, my Children passed out on the floor…" She sighed deeply, looking disapprovingly at the Elders. "Everything in nature requires a delicate balance," she scolded. "Once someone upsets this balance, utter chaos can result, which is hardly acceptable in any environment. I would just like to know… who's responsible for upsetting my delicate balance of tranquil harmony?"  
  
"Here's yer tranquil harmony, you new-age freak!" yelled Meowth, hurling a discarded Vileplume wreath at Ivy.  
  
"Ah, a Pokemon…" said Ivy with a sinister smile. "I've got just the thing for you, disobedient kitty." From her pocket, the Professor produced a small syringe filled with a vile-looking greenish liquid. "Now this shouldn't hurt… much…"   
  
Meowth gulped as Ivy loomed over him, an evil glint in her eyes.  



	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4  
  
"STOP!" cried a female voice from the back of the chamber. Ivy spun around to see a tall young woman framed in the doorway, her dark burgundy hair swept carelessly into a ponytail. Sunlight glinted off her glasses as she advanced toward the professor, absently tossing a Poke ball into the air and deftly catching it. Ivy instinctively backed away as the other woman approached confidently, high heels clicking on the floor tiles of the now-silent room.  
  
"Is that… PRIMA?" gasped Jessie, James, and Meowth.  
  
"You!" breathed Ivy in a dry whisper, as the syringe dropped from her limp hands and clattered across the floor. "Of all the people who might stop me, I never dreamed it could be you."  
  
"Why, didn't you think I was smart enough to figure it out?" replied Lorelei angrily, her eyes flaring. "The sudden disappearance of trainers… skilled trainers… from all over the Orange Islands? I heard that only one boy won the Orange League Trophy this year… quite a far cry from the dozens who usually win every year, wouldn't you say?"  
  
"Well, he was a skilled trainer…" began Ivy, starting to panic.  
  
"He did have potential, but you can't tell me that he was the best trainer… the ONLY GOOD trainer in the Orange Islands! And it just so happens that he was traveling with your simpleminded nephew… Coincidence? I think not."  
  
Lorelei paced the chamber, gracefully stepping over the collapsed Society members. "And funny how all these people are here," she added, gesturing to the figures on the floor. "Funny how I recognize most of them from my training demonstrations… I even battled some of them in the past. And now they're all here with you…funny, isn't it?" Lorelei paused, sniffing the air lightly. "Is that Stun Spore I smell?"  
  
"Wow," Meowth whispered to his friends, "she's good."  
  
"I guess she's not one of the Elite Four for nothing," answered Jessie.  
  
"Ah, an- an- an experiment… with the Vileplume…" stammered Ivy.  
  
"It doesn't make sense," Lorelei continued, staring hard at Ivy. "What made you do it, Mama?"  
  
"Mama???" gasped Jessie, James, and Meowth.  
"I don't know what you're talking about, Lorie," stammered Ivy, desperately hoping her trio of assistants would come looking for her. "I'm making the world a better place."  
  
"I saw what you were about to do to that Meowth," retorted Lorelei. "If that's your idea of making the world better, I'd hate to see what would make it worse."  
  
"Dat's right!" yelled Meowth indignantly.  
  
Lorelei stared at Meowth for a moment, a bit surprised by his gift of speech, then smiled. "Well, Mother, this should help straighten things out a bit," she said. "This Meowth should be able to tell us everything you've been doing here in your… new laboratory."  
  
Meowth eyed the Elite Four trainer suspiciously, expecting some sort of trap. "You want me ta tell MY side of da story?" Lorelei nodded.  
  
"You'll do nothing of the kind!" shrieked Ivy, uncorking a vial of pink, bubbling liquid.   
Suddenly, Jessie and James kicked Ivy in the back of her knees. She stumbled forward, dropping the vial and splashing its contents on the floor. The pink liquid fizzled for a moment before burning a hole through the tile. Meowth shuddered.  
  
Ivy muttered something evil under her breath and pulled a shiny Poke ball from her robe. "You'll never get away with this, Lorie," she said through clenched teeth. "Go Vileplume!" The huge, orange-petaled flower materialized in a flash of light.  
  
James gasped, recalling some of his own unfortunate experiences with Vileplume. "Let's get out of here right now!" he whispered to his friends. Jessie and Meowth nodded hastily and dashed for the doorway.  
  
"And I choose you, Cloyster!" cried Lorelei, throwing her Poke ball into the air.  
  
Team Rocket fled down the now-deserted corridors of Ivy's secret headquarters, running from the faint sounds of the Pokemon battle raging behind them.   
  
"What are we going to do?" Jessie asked as they ran. "We don't even know where we are, and this place is like a maze."  
  
"Even if we do find the way out, those stoned-out weirdos are going to find us again and just drag us back in there! I don't wanna be a zombie!" whined James.  
  
Meowth desperately looked around as he ran. "There's gotta be some way out… we've just GOTTA escape somehow…"  
  
Rounding a corner, Team Rocket came upon an unmarked door, propped open by a few research journals. Without a second thought, they raced inside and slammed the door shut.   
  
The room was dimly lit by a small, rectangular window set high on the opposite wall. Outside, they could see the gray clouds of an overcast sky and a few treetops shaking in a strong breeze. An immense laboratory table occupied the majority of the room, covered with an assortment of test tubes filled with rainbow-colored chemicals. A desk sat in one corner, barely visible in the dim light. Vileplume petals and pages of hastily scribbled notes littered the floor.  
  
Jessie leaned against the laboratory table, casually looking around the room. "I guess this is that professor's research area," she mused, absently glancing at the test tubes filled with brightly colored liquids.  
  
"She won't be back until dat battle's over," remarked Meowth, pacing the room. "We should be safe here for awhile."  
  
"What's going to happen after that?" wondered James, staring out the window. "Even if Prima wins, how does that help us get out of here?"   
  
Suddenly, the loud noise of approaching footsteps was heard from the hallway. Jessie and James panicked and leapt into each other's arms. Meowth crouched, ready to spring at anyone who opened the door.  
  
But the footsteps continued down the hall, past Ivy's research area, toward the main room where the battle was taking place. Putting their ears to the door, Team Rocket faintly heard Ash's voice echoing down the hall.  
  
"See, I told you guys we'd get through that forest!" Ash's voice said.  
  
"Yeah, no thanks to you!" retorted Misty's voice.  
  
"Would you two calm down?" answered Brock's voice. "We're not even sure if this is the gym…"  
  
Team Rocket backed away from the door and stared at each other in shock.  
  
"The twerps?" they asked simultaneously.  
  
"I've just GOTTA see this!" cried Meowth, racing for the door.   
  
"Wait," called Jessie, running back to the lab table and grabbing a handful of corked test tubes. "There might be something we can do to beat that new-age nutcase."  
  
"Good idea, Jess," said James, grabbing as many test tubes as he could carry. "And if things get too rough, we can always mix all the chemicals together and blast ourselves out of this place!"  
  
Meowth smacked James upside the head. "I wouldn't try it, Team Rocket Scientist."  
  



	6. Chapter 5

Scene 5  
  
When Team Rocket arrived at the entrance to the main chamber, the whole   
hallway was dark. Ash and his friends confidently flung the door open, releasing a faint floral smell into the hallway. With the torches and candles extinguished, the only light in the amphitheatre came from a few small windows at the back of the room.   
  
Lorelei remained in the center of the dark, smoke-filled amphitheatre with her   
back to the doorway. Ivy was nowhere to be seen. Poking their heads around the corner of the chamber's doorway, Jessie, James, and Meowth watched a typical scene unfold: Ash trying to win another gym badge.  
  
"I'm Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town, and I request a battle with the leader of this   
gym!" he proclaimed. Team Rocket rolled their eyes. The twerp was at it again.  
  
Lorelei turned around and smiled. "Hi Ash, remember me? We met back on   
Mandarin Island last year."  
  
"Pika pika!" squeaked Pikachu happily.  
  
Ash was dumbfounded. "Are you…"  
  
"PRIMA!" gushed Misty, her eyes glowing. "I thought it was a dream come true   
that I got to meet you just once, but now I get the chance to see you again in person! This is such an honor, you have no idea!"  
  
"WOW!" cried Brock, blushing a bright red. He ran forward and pushed Ash and   
Misty out of the way, taking hold of Lorelei's hands. "It's a pleasure to make your   
acquaintance, Miss. I just have to know what a beautiful lady like yourself is doing in a creepy, deserted place like this? I'd be glad to whisk you away from here, preferably to a nice, quiet spot somewhere that the two of us could be alone?"  
  
Misty grabbed her friend's ear and dragged him away from the Elite Four trainer.   
"Why don't you whisk yourself away from here, Brock?" she sighed, thoroughly   
embarrassed. Lorelei smiled.  
  
"So… this isn't a Pokemon gym?" Ash asked, looking around the room.  
  
"I'm afraid not, Ash," said Lorelei calmly. "I just came to this place to do a bit of   
special training, away from the crowds."  
  
"Aw man!" Ash grumbled. "I wanted another badge!" He turned around to walk   
out of the room. Pikachu jumped onto his shoulder as he walked.  
  
"Cheer up, Ash," said Misty, running after him. "That gym's got to be around   
here somewhere."  
  
Brock was still trying to get Lorelei's attention. "Are you sure you won't give me   
your phone number?" he pleaded. Lorelei chuckled as Misty dragged him towards the door.  
  
Suddenly, Team Rocket watched Professor Ivy stand up behind Lorelei, another   
test tube in her hand and a demented smile on her face. She advanced shakily through the hazy dimness towards the Elite Four trainer, who was waving goodbye to Ash and his friends, totally unaware that Ivy had regained consciousness.  
  
"Prima! Watch out!" yelled Jessie, James, and Meowth as Ivy prepared to throw   
the contents of the test tube at Lorelei. The Elite Four trainer instinctively ducked as the chemical splashed out, burning another hole in the floor. Ash and his friends spun around to see Professor Ivy's expression change from a twisted smile to a look of utter hatred.  
  
"Professor Ivy?" yelled Ash and Misty.   
  
"NO!" screamed Brock, fleeing from the room.  
  
"Who was it that warned me?" asked Lorelei.  
  
As if on cue, Jessie and James leapt from the doorway and stood back to back as   
they glared at Ivy. Ash and Misty stared at the two Rockets, their mouths hanging open in surprise.  
  
"You rotten sneak, prepare for trouble!" Jessie began, dramatically pointing at   
Ivy.  
  
"And I'd suggest you make it double!" added James, also pointing at Ivy.  
  
"Youse two said the motto already!" yelled Meowth, jumping into the room.   
"Let's get on with the show!"  
  
"Right!" said Jessie and James, nodding once.  
  
Professor Ivy's eyes narrowed to slits. "I should have disposed of you two when I   
had the chance. On the other hand, there's really nothing you can do to interfere any longer." The professor turned her attention to Ash. A nasty smile contorted her face. "You, Ash… you're awfully fond of Pokemon battles, aren't you?"  
  
"You bet I am!" yelled Ash.  
  
"Then I have a proposition for you," Ivy said in a sickeningly sweet voice. "How   
would you like to battle me, one on one… your best Pokemon against my best Pokemon? And if you win, there's a special reward in store for you."  
  
"Don't do it, Ash!" cried Misty fearfully. "I don't trust her for a minute after   
what she tried to do to Prima!"  
  
"Don't worry, I'll be careful," said Ash, a confident smile on his face.  
  
Ivy smirked, knowing she had him now. It was just as she had always suspected:   
a young, impetuous trainer would never turn down the opportunity to prove himself in a battle against a strong opponent. And this battle could be his last.  
  
"Pikachu, are you ready?" asked Ash.  
  
"Pika!" growled the electric mouse, cheeks flashing with electricity.  
  
"We're ready when you are!" Ash yelled, a look of total determination on his   
face.  
  
Behind Ash, Misty carefully put Togepi inside her red backpack. "You'll be safe   
in here, Togepi," she cooed, nervously watching Ivy withdraw a Poke ball from her   
robes.   
  
"Be careful," whispered Lorelei from the side of the room, never taking her eyes   
off her evil mother.  
  
From the doorway, Team Rocket anxiously looked on.  
  
"Hey, kid!" yelled Jessie.   
  
Ash looked back at her in annoyance. "What do you want?"  
  
"Good luck!" she cried, giving him a thumbs-up.   
  
"Beat that wacko like you always beat us!" added James.   
  
"You can do it, Pikachu!" chimed in Meowth.   
  
Ash smiled confidently. "Yeah." Then he returned his attention to Ivy. "Are you   
ready yet?"  
  
"Just waiting for you," she answered in a saccharine voice. "Vileplume, let's go!"  
  
The Professor forcefully hurled her Poke ball into the center of the room and the   
orange-petaled Pokemon materialized in a brilliant flash of red light. "Vileplume…" it drawled in a breathy voice.  
  
"I've noticed that only truly deranged people train Vileplume," commented Jessie.  
  
"You're right, Jess," said James. "This crazy professor, Jessebelle…" He   
shuddered involuntarily.  
  
Pikachu ran forward into the makeshift battlefield. "Chu!" it growled.  
  
"I'll even let you make the first move, Ash," said Ivy, a sly smile crossing her   
face.  
  
"All right, Pikachu, start off with your Quick Attack!" commanded Ash.  
  
"Pika!" squealed Pikachu, dashing forward.  
  
"Stun Spore!" yelled Ivy.  
  
As Pikachu's attack connected with the huge flower, a stream of sparkling,   
greenish pollen poured from the center of the blossom. The pollen encircled Pikachu's head before the mouse could run away.  
  
Breathing in the Stun Spore pollen, Pikachu tottered from side to side, its eyes   
watering terribly. Staggering around the battlefield, the small mouse soon collapsed to the ground, unable to move.  
  
"No!" screamed Ash. Ivy smiled evilly.  
  
"Looks like you're finished," she gloated. "Your Pikachu's too dizzy to battle."  
  
"Not yet!" yelled Jessie. Everyone turned to look at Team Rocket as James   
tossed a corked test tube to Ash.  
  
"What's this?" asked the young Pokemon trainer, turning the test tube of clear   
blue liquid over in his hand. The label read 'Stun Spore Antidote'. "Oh wow! Pikachu, quick! Drink this!" Ash tossed the test tube to his dizzy Pokemon. "It's an antidote!"  
  
From the other side of the room, Ivy swore under her breath.  
  
"I don't get it," said Misty, looking skeptically at Team Rocket. "You're   
supposed to be bad guys. Why are you helping Pikachu?"  
  
"You know, we're really not as evil as you twerps make us out to be," answered   
Jessie, as Pikachu pulled the stopper from the tube and began drinking the antidote.  
  
"We're just normal people trying to make a living… we may be members of   
Team Rocket, but we're not heartless!" added James.  
  
"Would youse quit gabbin'?" interrupted Meowth. The cat looked back at Ash.   
"You gotta battle ta win, kid!"  
  
"Right!" said Ash, more determined than ever. "Pikachu, are you okay?"  
  
"Chaaa!" answered Pikachu, wiping his mouth with the back of his tiny yellow   
paw.  
  
"Okay! Pikachu, Thunder Attack!"  
  
"Pi…ka…CHUUUUUU!"  
  
The entire room lit up with the blast of Pikachu's strongest Electric Attack, but   
Vileplume hardly seemed to be affected by it.  
  
"Is that the best you can do?" taunted the Society Mother. "Vileplume, finish it   
off with Allergy Bomb!"  
  
"Allergy Bomb?" asked Ash, as Vileplume closed its eyes, preparing to attack.  
  
"We've got to get out of here, Jessie!" whispered James in a panic. "You know   
how bad my allergies are!"  
  
"Now looks like a good time for Team Rocket to blast off," she said softly,   
nodding once. "They'll never miss us in the confusion."  
  
"We done our good deed, now let's split!" added Meowth. "Dat kid knows what   
he's doin'."   
  
As Team Rocket hurried out the door, Vileplume crouched down. Suddenly,   
there was a huge explosion of toxic yellowish pollen from the center of the flower. As the pollen began to settle, Pikachu started sneezing uncontrollably, its eyes becoming reddened from the intense allergic reaction. Grabbing its head with both paws, Pikachu squealed in pain as it clumsily staggered away from the poisonous Flower Pokemon. Ash watched in horror as his beloved Pokemon painfully collapsed to the ground and laid very still.  
  
"PIKACHU!" he cried in anguish, running over and scooping his best friend into   
his arms. "Oh Pikachu, please be all right!"  
  
"That's not a real attack, Mama, and you know it!" cried Lorelei indignantly,   
stepping forward as Ash cradled the yellow Pokemon in his arms. "What are you trying to pull?"  
  
"Lorie, dear," cooed Ivy, "never underestimate a Pokemon's special abilities. I   
would have thought you of all people would realize that special training could bring   
out… certain attack powers."  
  
"You know that Pokemon are only allowed to use League-approved attacks in   
official battles," she answered angrily. "Otherwise, you're cheating!"  
  
"Oh really?" Ivy asked innocently. "My mistake. Anyway, I'm finished playing." The professor looked over to her Vileplume and pointed at her daughter. "Vileplume, you know how to get rid of intruders."  
  
As Lorelei turned to run, the huge flower Pokemon plowed into her with a mighty Tackle attack. Knocked to the ground, the Elite Four trainer looked up to see Vileplume release another cloud of Stun Spore. Lorelei turned her head away, waving her hands in a futile attempt to blow the poisonous pollen away from her. But within moments, she was passed out on the amphitheatre floor.  
  
"PRIMA!" shrieked Misty, covering her mouth and frantically running to   
Lorelei's side. "Prima, please wake up!" She gently tried shaking the Ice Pokemon trainer. Lorelei lay still.  
  
"Ivy!" screamed Ash, quickly looking around the room for the mad professor.   
Ivy had vanished without a trace. 


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6  
  
Racing madly through the halls of the Society building, Jessie, James, and Meowth desperately scanned the area for an exit door. Every potential hallway and promising corridor became another dead end as they sprinted through the evil complex.  
  
Suddenly, James suddenly stopped at a small device set into the wall, motioning for his friends to stop running.  
  
"I seem to remember seeing something like this at my Great-Uncle Morty's mansion when I was little more than a tot," he began, pressing several buttons on the device. "Great-Uncle was always the first to have the latest gadgets, even the ones that never quite made sense. If I remember correctly, all I have to do is push this button…"  
  
Suddenly, a portion of the wall slid aside to reveal a video telephone. James smiled. "It's a secret telephone, highly impractical for anything but covert operations like this… which is why it never quite caught on, except in select circles."  
  
"James, that's amazing," said Jessie, respect in her voice. "But I just have one question."  
  
"Yes?" James asked, feeling quite pleased with himself.  
  
"Who are you planning to call on this thing?"  
  
"Um… I thought you might be able to handle that…" he stammered, a drop of sweat rolling down his forehead.  
  
"Well, we ain't callin' da Boss, dat's for sure," commented Meowth. "It's bad enough we ain't brought him any rare Pokemon, but ta call for backup for somethin' as messed up as dis…"  
  
"Good point," said Jessie. "Let's see, if I was a twerp, and that's a very big if…" Suddenly struck with a burst of inspiration, Jessie grabbed the receiver of the phone and pushed a button. "Hello, operator? Yes, I need the number of the Mandarin Island Police Station."  
  
"Jessie, are you insane?" cried James, wide-eyed. "We have enough trouble on our hands as it is!"  
  
"Don't you remember?" the female Rocket asked impatiently as the number dialed. "There was the one time we actually assisted the police."  
  
"How could I forget?" wailed James. "What a blow to our criminality!"  
  
"Dis has gotta be a first!" laughed Meowth. "Team Rocket, callin' da police!"  
  
Suddenly, the video screen lit up with a brightly-colored image of Officer Jenny. "Hello, Mandarin Island Police Department, this is Jenny."  
  
"Um… hello…" began Jessie.  
  
"Team Rocket?" asked Jenny in disbelief. "Who- what are you… wait a minute, I remember you! Jessie, James, you're the ones who helped us out back when…"  
  
"Yes, well…" began James.  
  
"You have absolutely no idea how much we wanted to thank you two for all your help!" enthused Jenny.  
  
"That's all well and good, but…" James tried again.  
  
Jenny cut him off yet again. "We still have that special certificate we wanted to…."  
  
"Look, Jen, we ain't got da time ta sit and gab!" interrupted Meowth. "We got an emergency situation here! Professor Ivy is gonna…"  
  
Suddenly the video screen went black. Team Rocket spun around to see the demented professor holding a shiny, razor-edged knife in her hand. Electricity sparked from the severed telephone wires as Ivy advanced on the helpless trio.  
  
"The telephone is off-limits to trespassers," Ivy said flatly, running her fingers along the edge of her blade. Jessie and James edged away from the Society Mother, but quickly found themselves backed up against the wall. They slumped to the ground, futilely looking for a means of escape. Ivy casually fingered her knife as she steadily walked forward.  
  
"I should have known you'd be nothing but trouble," she said, staring directly at her blade. Her eyes flashed over to Jessie and James. "But not for long."  
  
From the opposite side of the hallway, Meowth readied himself to pounce. Tensing his muscles, the small cat flung himself at Ivy's back, claws outstretched. Suddenly Ivy whirled around and sharply kicked Meowth in the stomach.  
  
The cat slid several yards down the hallway on his back, the wind totally knocked out of him. Placing his paws on the floor, Meowth painfully tried to struggle to his feet, but instead collapsed, face-first, on the ground. Jessie and James winced.  
  
Spinning around again, Ivy advanced toward the two Team Rocket members, raising the knife high above her head. Jessie and James grabbed onto each other in fear, squeezing their eyes shut. The mad professor slowly leaned toward the Rockets and smiled. "Goodbye, Team Rocket…" Ivy said, as the knife descended.  
  
Suddenly, a bright orange something flashed past Ivy, breaking her concentration. Another motion by the orange blur, and the knife clattered to the floor. Rubbing her wrist where the orange thing had struck her, Ivy angrily spun around to see Brock defiantly staring at her, his arms folded across his chest. The orange blur dashed to his side.  
  
"Good job, Vulpix," Brock said flatly, never taking his attention off the mad professor. "Your Tail Whip attack is getting much stronger."   
  
"Vul!" Vulpix squealed happily.  
  
"Well, look who it is," smiled Ivy wickedly. "Vileplume Experiment Failure Number One."  
  
"The game is up, Ivy," said Brock coldly. "I'm not afraid of you."  
  
"Oh no?" she purred mockingly in a sickeningly sweet voice. "Weren't you the one who ran away like a frightened Clefairy just moments ago? And I recall you fleeing in terror from Valencia Island as well…"  
  
"What you're doing is wrong," Brock continued. "I'm not running anywhere... and neither are you."  
  
"Sounds like somebody's trying to be a Mr. Tough Guy," sneered Ivy.   
  
"If you don't stop what you're doing here, I'll… I'll blow up this entire building with my Pineco," growled Brock, clenching his fists. "You'll never get away with this."  
  
"Big words for a boy without a backbone."  
  
Suddenly, the sound of running footsteps approached. Ivy calmly turned to see Ash and Misty, both out of breath, glaring at her. Ash cradled the fainted Pikachu in his arms, tears of anger and frustration in his eyes. Misty was ready to explode with rage.  
  
"How could you do this?" demanded Misty, shaking with fury. "You call yourself a Pokemon researcher?"  
  
"No real professor would use a Pokemon's attacks on people!" added Ash. "What have you done to Pikachu? And Prima?"  
  
"I don't need this from you worthless upstarts," said Ivy, irritation rising in her voice. "I have a peaceful, utopian Society to create… and your presence here is anything but peaceful." Getting a twisted glint in her eye, Ivy reached into the sleeve of her robe and pulled out a black gun, pointing it at Ash, Misty, and Brock. "Against the wall, all of you."   
  
As the young trainers hastily complied with the professor's wishes, Ivy sighed, looking reflectively at her weapon. "I suppose I only have myself to blame," she said calmly. "When I learned that you brats had a reputation for causing trouble, my first thought was simply to eliminate you. But instead I foolishly tried to be nice. I tried to get you out of my way, send you off on a whirlwind tour of the Orange Archipelago."   
  
Ivy looked up, fixing the young trainers with a harsh stare. "But you wouldn't cooperate. You insisted on being a nuisance to me and my research. Well, this should take care of that."  
  
She raised her gun at the group huddled against the wall as her three assistants came running into the hallway, terrified looks on their faces.  
  
"Professor!" gasped Millie.  
  
"What are you doing?" added Lillie.  
  
"You said you wanted a peaceful world!" continued Tillie.  
  
"Be quiet," snapped Ivy, never turning her gaze. "I know what I'm doing. Girls, take a lesson: there are times you must wage a war to first create true peace. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some unfinished business to take care of."  
  
Ivy's trio of assistants nervously looked at each other for a few seconds, then fled back down the hall. Ivy's face twisted into a deranged smile. They'd be dealt with later.  
  
"Now… I wonder how many bullets I have in here," Ivy idly mused, looking back down at her weapon. "Surely I can take a few of you down right now. But I wonder… who's going to be first? Will it be you," she asked, pointing the gun at Brock, "the spineless coward who almost revealed my plan to the world before it was time?" Brock gulped.  
  
"Or perhaps you," she turned to face Ash, "the would-be Pokemon master, always skipping through life without a care in the world, winning everything easily, without any hard work?" Ash blinked back tears as Ivy glared at him.  
  
"Or you two," she aimed at Team Rocket, "the world's most miserable excuse for criminals, who disrupted my peaceful Society moments ago?"  
  
Ash's eyes grew wide as Ivy cocked the trigger and aimed her gun at Team Rocket. Brock turned away and put his head down, unable to watch. Even Misty began sniffing, burying her head on Ash's shoulder. Jessie and James held onto each other, paralyzed with fear, as Ivy stared at them.  
  
Then the professor smiled calmly. "Yes, perhaps you two should be the first…" 


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7  
  
"Oh no, you don't!" cried a female voice from the doorway. Ivy turned around and cursed under her breath. A sudden flash of lightning from the front door revealed an entire army of Officer Jennies and Growlithes. "You're under arrest for kidnapping, attempted murder, and violation of the Pokemon Professors' Code of Ethics. You have the right to…"  
  
"What are you doing here?" Ivy demanded, through gritted teeth. "You have nothing on me."  
  
"My second cousin, the Jenny of Mandarin Island, traced an emergency phone call she received earlier today," explained one of the identical officers. "This was the only building the call could have come from, so she sent out an emergency call for all local police to investigate the area. We've heard everything, there's no point in resisting further."   
  
"Oh no?" asked Ivy, smiling smugly. From within her robes she produced a small remote. "If any of you make another move, I'll push this. Before I started my Society here, I placed explosives throughout the entire building, all controlled by this little detonator." The professor laughed demonically before calmly continuing. "If I'm going down, I'm bringing everyone else with me… that includes these worthless rats," she gestured to Ash, Misty, Brock, and Team Rocket, "my Society Children, as well as you. You have to ask yourselves whether arresting me is worth all that waste. The choice is up to you, of course."  
  
The lead Jenny gritted her teeth. "Keep your guard up, everyone. One false move and we rush her."  
  
As a loud clap of thunder shook the room, Meowth slowly opened one eye, painfully regaining consciousness. The small cat gasped as he watched the twisted Professor smile, resting her index finger on the shiny red button of the detonator, still holding the gun in her other hand.  
  
"You see?" she asked smugly, "I've thought of everything. I'll have my true peace… one way or another."  
  
Meowth's quick mind raced as he desperately tried to devise a plan. He had to get that detonator away from Ivy before she could push the button. But how could he do that when she was still aiming a loaded weapon at his friends? He glanced back at the group huddled on the floor in fear: Jessie and James were still in each other's arms, Brock was trying to keep Misty from panicking, and Ash was protectively cradling the unconscious Pikachu in his arms.   
  
Meowth sighed to himself. Nobody could do anything to stop Ivy… nobody except a clever cat. Too bad I don't feel so clever today, he thought. Think, Meowth! I gotta do something… But Meowth's attacks were useless at a distance. Bite, Scratch, Fury Swipes… they all involved physical contact with his opponent. If only I coulda learned Pay Day! he thought angrily. Then I could throw a bunch of coins at that nut job… an' get us all outta here!  
  
Suddenly, an idea flickered inside Meowth's mind. Even though he had never been able to make money appear when he tried using Pay Day, there was a chance that part of the attack might work. He cautiously reached up to his forehead and began wiggling his glittering golden charm. It budged slightly. Fueled by desperation, Meowth pushed harder, ignoring the pain throbbing through his injured body. After a few endless seconds, the charm came loose in his paw with a soft popping noise.  
  
One shot… dat's all I got, he thought, trying to ignore the deafening pounding of his own heart. Taking a deep breath, the feline squinted his left eye shut, lining up the shot. If this missed… it was all over. He quickly tried to push this thought from his mind. Think positive, Meowth! he thought angrily. A large drop of sweat rolled down the cat's temple as he hurled the golden charm with his last ounce of strength, and collapsed to the floor again.  
  
Another flash of lightning from the open doorway lit up the charm with a brilliant sparkle as it sailed through the air. Meowth looked up anxiously as the golden object sailed through the air, as if in slow motion. After what seemed like an eternity, the charm struck Ivy's hand… the one holding the detonator.   
  
Distracted, the mad professor involuntarily glared in Meowth's direction for a second. But a second was all the time the police needed. In an instant, Growlithe's Take Down attack knocked Ivy to the floor, sending the remote spinning across the floor. One of the officers rushed over and confiscated it immediately as two other Jennies ran forward to apprehend Ivy.  
  
As she was dragged to her feet, Professor Ivy glared daggers at Ash and his friends, then turned to Team Rocket, fiercely staring at them with open, unveiled hatred.  
  
"The world's most miserable criminals…" she snarled. "Don't you think for a second that you'll get away with this! You haven't seen the last of me! I'll make you pay…" she vowed in a hoarse whisper as the Jennies dragged her off.  
  
"Eh, tell it to da judge!" retorted Meowth, smiling smugly as he watched the police place Ivy into the back of a squad car. "You shoulda known, you don't mess wit' da Rockets!"  
  
"That's right!" yelled Jessie and James, watching the car drive off.  
  
Meanwhile, Brock was tending to Pikachu's injuries, carefully spraying Super Potion on the small electric mouse, as Misty recounted what she knew of the story to several police officers. As she led them back to the main amphitheater, where the unconscious Lorelei was, Ash approached Team Rocket, a slightly embarrassed look on his face.  
  
"Um, Team Rocket?" he began, looking down at the floor. "You- you really helped us out back there. If you hadn't had that antidote for Pikachu… I- I don't know what…" Blinking back a tear, his voice trailed off as he crouched down and addressed Meowth.  
  
"Meowth… uh… this belongs to you." Ash stretched out his hand and produced the golden charm. Noticing a dirty spot where it had hit the floor, the boy quickly polished the shiny object on his blue jacket before gratefully handing it to the cat.  
  
Meowth smiled. "Heh… thanks, kid." 


	9. Epilogue

Epilogue  
  
"… and so, all the missing trainers have been found, thanks to the assistance of some brave heroes who prefer to remain nameless. Elite Four trainer Lorelei plans to renovate the Society building, turning it into a Pokemon training academy. As for the former Professor, Ivy is now serving her sentence at the Orange Islands maximum-security facility…" stated a news reporter as a shot of the former Society building appeared on the small television screen in the prison office.  
  
The Jenny watching the screen smiled. "Case closed," she said, patting her Growlithe companion on the head.  
  
In another part of the prison, Ivy stared out the barred window of her cell at the thick black clouds gathering outside. She glared at the outside world with unbridled hatred. "This isn't over," she vowed in a menacing voice, clenching her fists. Her eyes narrowed. "Not over at all…"  
  
The End? 


End file.
